The Office of Belonging, Equity, and Excellence
As a Catholic, Ignatian school, we understand that we are accountable to making SI a more safe, loving, and anti-racist community of belonging for all. The Profile of the Graduate at Graduation calls us to be open to growth. We are committed to acknowledging our failures and growing in our work to combat systemic racism. We are ready, now more than ever, to deeply engage in the work of anti-racism.
Mission Statement
The Office of Belonging, Equity, and Excellence guides and supports the holistic development of St. Ignatius as an institution. Our goal is to support and facilitate a perpetual learning community by utilizing best practices that fosters reflection, identity formation, community, and intellectual rigor. These practices will be centered upon our Catholic, Ignatian values and an educational approach that utilizes reflection as a tool of analysis in an effort to design competencies in support of student-centered outcomes, our Grad at Grad.
What is the Office of Belonging, Equity, and Excellence?
The Office of Belonging, Equity, and Excellence is a hub that exists to serve all members of the St. Ignatius community, including faculty and staff, students, parents, and guardians. The BEE is a partner with all offices and departments at SI, helping to guide the community on issues of equity and inclusion, building capacity for cultural competency, and striving to build a culture where all feel accepted, safe, empowered, supported, and affirmed. The goal of the BEE is to ensure that the children and adults in our school community thrive, not in spite of, but because of who they are.
The BEE offers a variety of opportunities, programs, and events for the community to engage in courageous conversations around diversity and equity, with a focus on racial literacy, centering the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and identity formation.
As part of our Catholic, Ignatian commitment to social justice, SI fosters a community of understanding, respect, and inclusion for students of all backgrounds. We also promote respect for all forms of diversity and strive to promote solidarity among all members of the school community.
Regardless of socio-cultural backgrounds, all students exposed to diversity are better at critical thinking, problem solving, interacting with a diverse workforce, and becoming effective and empathetic leaders and agents of change than their counterparts who have had little exposure to diversity.
Through education and awareness, SI strives to provide students the opportunity to honor and understand the diverse world in which we live. Our goal is to cultivate empathetic, effective leaders, and agents of racial and social justice.
Defining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Cultural Competency, and Justice
The Magis High School Program
The Magis High School Program is an academic, social, and cultural support program for students historically underrepresented at St. Ignatius and institutions of higher education. In addition to the academic and counseling resources that SI already offers all students, the Magis HS Program provides supplemental programs including mentorship, preparation for college entrance, and cultural enrichment. The Magis Program exists to support St. Ignatius students who identify with at least one of the following criteria:
- Students who are first-generation college-bound (neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree from a US college or university)
- Students from low-income families
- Students of color historically underrepresented in higher education
Click here for more information about the Magis High School Program
Affinity Groups
Affinity groups promote awareness and respect for diversity and inclusion at St. Ignatius. The affinity groups support the intersectional identity formation of its members and provide a safe space for students who self identify within each affinity group.
Although members of an affinity group may share a common identity, such as gender or race, it does not mean that everyone in that group shares the same experience. Rather, participants recognize that their identity has an effect on the way they move through the world. Affinity groups enhance cross-cultural communication. They provide a space for reflection, dialogue, and support. Generally, participation in affinity groups is voluntary. The goal of affinity groups is to facilitate positive identity exploration and development towards the larger goal of creating an inclusive and thriving learning environment. These kinds of groups offer a time and space for empowerment of the individual and of the group within the greater community.
Affinity groups are created to meet a particular identity development need in a school. These are places where students and adults can develop a better understanding of how their own identity shapes their experiences. By becoming firmly rooted in their own identity, community members are in a much better position to understand the experiences of others. Research from both the business world and educational institutions has demonstrated that affinity groups are a necessary component for the healthy development of organizations. They create space for better communication and understanding which allows people to work and learn together in an equitable way.
Cultural clubs differ from affinity groups in that they are generally open to all people regardless of background and are dedicated to learning about a particular culture, its people, diversity, and values.
Student Affinity Groups
- Arab and Middle Eastern Affinity (AMA)
- Asian Students’ Coalition (ASC)
- Association of Latin American Students (ALAS)
- Black Student Union (BSU)
- Pacific Islander Association
- Jewish Affinity Group (JAG)
- LGBTQ+ Affinity
Parent Affinity Groups
Contact Us
Dr. Tasia Davis
Ms. Maricel Hernandez
